Circumspect
by heartof-papershards
Summary: Snotlout was always wary of risks that needed to be taken. So now he forever regrets the time he didn't hesitate to confess his love to his friend. This happened to cause distress to both vikings, especially when Snotlout wasn't certain why he loved him or who he liked. Thor Bonecrusher? Or his friend Fishlegs?
1. Chapter 1

I owe everything to Sarah for helping me shine up this work. She gave it time that she didn't have to give, but wanted to. She is an amazing part of this fandom. Without her, this would still be its rusty ol' self. Please, check out her work, it's amazing and she deserves it 3

...

 **Circumspect and reserved every man should be, and wary in trusting friends.  
Of the words that a man says to another he often pays the penalty.**

...

It was another perfect morning on Dragon's Edge. At least on the surface. It seemed Snotlout didn't get the memo that it was a 'happy and peaceful' time.

In a large area of grass, surrounded by trees, Snotlout was lying face down, almost hanging over the cliff's edge. Not too far in the distance, Hookfang landed on the flat surface in the center of the clearing. He walked over to his rider. With sudden abruptness, Snotlout pushed himself off the ground. Hookfang reared back in surprise.

"One more time."

Snotlout's voice held the determination that his face did not. And Hookfang knew it wasn't a good time to train if Snotlout's mood was anything to go by. Training distracted could get you killed, and Hookfang could tell that Snotlout wasn't feeling like himself. Hookfang wasn't _bonded_ or anything like that sentimental Night Fury and his shameless human, but one didn't work with someone for years without picking up on their moods. And Hookfang knew for certain that Snotlout was hiding something, some sort of emotion, suppressing his feelings, whatever they might be. And no way in Hel he was going to let his rider put them both in danger just because his thoughts were clouding his judgement.

As Snotlout approached, Hookfang raised his head and wings, keeping Snotlout from mounting up. Of course, Snotlout, being Snotlout, wouldn't just go along like any sensible person.

"Hookfang! You seriously doing this now?" Snotlout's tone had a bite to it, but nothing unfriendly. Still, he sounded tired and distracted. He was clearly in no state of mind to be practicing such a complicated maneuver.

Hookfang moved his head away as Snotlout tried to jump up and grip his saddle. The attempt was fruitless, and Snotlout knew that. Hookfang tilted his head, meeting his rider's eyes and trying very hard to make Snotlout understand.

Snotlout sighed, letting his arms drop to his sides. "I know you're the world's most stubborn dragon, you're _my_ dragon after all, but you can't just stop me from riding. I swear to Odin you will let me mount you and we are going to get this right. Now lower your stupid head!" Hookfang flamed up, stepping back. Snotlout's eyes widened and he took a step forward. "You know we're going to show off what new tricks we learned next week. You want Astrid and Stormfly to beat us?"

Hookfang rolled his eyes, his head tilting with it to emphasize the movement. He lowered his head to let Snotlout mount him, still wary.

They took off into the air, gaining altitude before turning back around to fly next to the edge of the cliff. As they edged closer, Snotlout used Hookfang's horns for stability as he pushed himself to his feet. They were steady. He stepped carefully onto Hookfang's wing, slowly inching to the tip as they approached the edge of their training ground. Arms held outwards for balance he prepared himself to step off. He only had a few seconds to step onto the cliff edge: Hookfang couldn't glide forever, and as soon as he flapped his wings, Snotlout would either be tossed into the air, or, more likely, slip off and plummet. He had to take the step, and he had to take it now. He had to do it! Now! Why couldn't he just do it? It wasn't hard to do it! Even Fishlegs could take a step at the right time-

And he moved the wrong foot, missing the edge and stepping on air.

"Ah, yak piss," Snotlout breathed as he started to fall. It didn't even occur to him that he could die in the short moment he was falling, mind still preoccupied.

Roaring in alarm, Hookfang dived after Snotlout and gripped his rider's belt in his teeth. He flew up to the edge and threw Snotlout onto the grass, careless with his anger, and landed in the shadow of the trees, watching in distress as Snotlout rolled upon being thrown. Snotlout pushed himself too far when he was obviously not thinking straight.

He watched as Snotlout pushed himself to his knees and snapped his head in his direction. "What is going on with you?!" Snotlout yelled as he stood up and started his way over to Hookfang. Before he even took a few steps, Hookfang jumped to another side of their training field. "Don't do this to me. I know you secretly enjoyed watching me fall to my death," Snotlout picked up his pace as he followed after Hookfang, who kept jumping all over the place to avoid him. Hookfang shot a glare at Snotlout.

"Hookfang, this is getting ridiculous! Why won't you let me train?" Snotlout stopped running as Hookfang flew into the air just before he could reach him. The Monstrous Nightmare stayed in the air where there was no way of Snotlout reaching him. He watched his rider turn around to look up at him as he stayed in place.

"We've only just started practicing this move, we're bound to have a few accidents. You can't get angry at me for something that's out of my hands!" Snotlout threw his arms above his head in exasperation. The beats of Hookfang's wings became fiercer with his rising anger at his rider's obliviousness. "What is with you?"

For answer, Hookfang glared at Snotlout. Then he lit himself on fire to show how he felt, and met Snotlout's eyes, trying to communicate his thoughts.

Snotlout hung his head and heaved a sigh. Seeing that Snotlout seemed to have got the message, Hookfang doused the fire that coated his body and fixed his gaze on Snotlout.

"I guess," Snotlout began, "I do have a lot on my mind." He took a deep breath. "And it's all this one stupid muttonhead's fault!" he yelled, throwing his arms in the air. He crossed his legs and sat down, elbows resting on his knees as he leaned his cheek against his closed fist.

Hookfang landed on the ground behind Snotlout, legs tucked close to his body and head resting on the ground. It was his way of saying he was there, and he was listening. Snotlout scooted so his back rested against his dragon, taking on a relaxed position, ready to vent his feelings.

"It's just so stupid. I mean, where did it even come from? I just wanted a cool warrior Viking best friend, but instead I got an incredibly annoying crush on a person who doesn't even exist."

Hookfang raised his head, as if he had just realised who Snotlout was talking about. He looked at Snotlout curiously. "What are you looking at?" Snotlout snapped, feeling exposed and embarrassed to share these thoughts, even if it was with his dragon.

Hookfang rolled his eyes, then curled his body around and rested his head on the lap of his rider. He didn't do it often, but he felt it might get Snotlout to open up just a little bit more. Snotlout tensed up, but soon relaxed and placed his hand on Hookfang's head, stroking it.

He sighed, "He does exist, but it's not _him_. It's not who I fell in love with. It's just his-his outside. His face? His body? And I miss him. But I know he's never coming back. And now I have to see Fishlegs every day and it reminds me of him and it's just.. it's… so goddamn stupid! Like just give up already. He's not coming back so, just, give up."

Hookfang felt the movement of Snotlout's hand stop. He tilted his head to look at Snotlout's face. He couldn't read it, but he knew there was more to be said. He caught Snotlout's gaze and nodded, encouraged him to continue.

Snotlout smiled the smallest of smiles and continued to pet his dragon's head and neck. "Guess what, Fangster? It's Thor Bonecrusher. That's who I'm hung up over, and it feels so girly but I can't get rid of the feeling. I've tried so hard to get him back. Like when I was training him to face the Quaken, I thought maybe if I pushed him enough Thor would come back. But nothing works. Insulting him, training him. There is just no sign of TB coming back. So do why I get this tingly feeling when Fishlegs is around? It's gotta be because he looks like TB, right? Because what else would it be?"

Hookfang tilted his head again to glare at Snotlout, getting more and more frustrated at Snotlout for his obliviousness. Snotlout scoffed, "What do you know. It's not like you understand." In response, Hookfang smacked Snotlout in the head with one of his horns, to say that yes, he did understand. Snotlout only glared, unusually quiet after getting knocked in the head. He stood up and took a few steps. Shoulders slumped, he said quietly, "I don't know what to do. Ignoring it doesn't work."

He looked in the direction of where he believed Fishlegs' hut was. A new resolve filled his gut. He decided rejection couldn't be any worse than what he was feeling, wallowing in his crush. He turned his head to face Hookfang, a confident smile on his face. "I'm going to deal with this."

He only took a few steps before fear filled his body. "On second thought-"

Fire struck the ground beside his feet, making him jump. He turned to face Hookfang angrily to see he was right behind him. "Fine, fine," he began before mounting Hookfang, "let's get this over with."

...

High up in Fishlegs' room, an investigation was in progress. Bursts of flame in different colours of the spectrum radiated from the Dragon Eye, casting a kaleidoscope of light onto the floor of his hut. Meatlug and Fishlegs were staring in awe at the diagram projected on the wall of his room. "This is a treasure map, girl! Not pirate treasure, I mean it shows that the ancestral ground for Gronckles actually exists and how to find it. Do you know what this means? We can discover things we never even knew about Gronckles, or even more Boulder Class dragons! I couldn't have done this without you, girl." Meatlug tackled Fishlegs in a hug, both sharing the same amount of excitement. He stood up off the ground, dusting himself off and petting Meatlug's head.

"Hey Fishface!"

Fishlegs jumped, startled at the abrupt interruption.

"What'cha doing?"

Fishlegs sighed and turned to face Snotlout, standing in the entry of his hut. "Do you even care?" He asked, fists clenched by his sides.

Snotlout crossed his arms over his chest, looking to the side, a crinkle between his brows. "I wouldn't have asked if I didn't care," he shouted, but Fishlegs noticed it seemed heavy, like he was trying to hide a shake in his voice.  
Fishlegs breathed deeply, "Well, Meatlug and I just discovered that there might be more Boulder Class dragons that we have yet to discover. And the location of-"

Snotlout's eyes glazed over before he shook his head and took a step forward, interrupting Fishlegs. "Oh wow, y'know, I just remembered you're boring and I don't care." Snotlout turned and walked off, leaving Fishlegs staring at the place where he used to be.

Fishlegs stood there, frowning, while he rubbed his right upper arm with his left hand. Ever since the incident with Thor Bonecrusher he hasn't felt quite the same around Snotlout, and surprisingly, his words hit Fishlegs harder than they used to. Sensing Fishlegs' distress, Meatlug walked over to him and rubbed affectionately against his leg. It didn't completely lift his spirits, but it still brought a small smile to his face. He petted Meatlug's head and whispered, "Come on, girl, let's get back to the Dragon Eye."

...

"Ahh, I'm such a muttonhead!" Snotlout groaned, smacking himself in the forehead as he walked into his hut. As if the face-slap wasn't enough, he went and butted his head against a wall before deciding that was enough sense-knocking and sat down on his bed. A heavy sigh escaped him as his shoulders slumped. "Why do I keep doing this?" he whispered to himself before reaching into his bedside table drawer to pick up his self drawn portrait of Thor Bonecrusher.

"Why you? I've seen so many brave and ferocious vikings. What makes you so different?" Snotlout gripped at the sheets in self-hatred at his own stupidity. He'd gone up there to understand his feelings. Determine who he had feelings for. He thought having a friendly conversation with Fishlegs would put him at ease, but since when had he been able to talk to Fishlegs without his old obnoxious habits ruining it? It only made him more confused, and the ache in his chest only became stronger. He just wanted to sleep and cry, but that went against everything he was taught growing up. Emotions don't control you, and emotions make you weak. A man doesn't cry. A _Jorgenson_ doesn't cry.

There was a knock on the door. He looked up to find Hiccup standing at his door with Hookfang behind him.

"Hey, Snotlout. Uh, is everything okay? You and Hookfang should be getting ready for nightwatch," Hiccup asked with concern. He petted Hookfang's head as a signal to enter and waited for the Monstrous Nightmare to walk in before he took a few steps in himself. Snotlout looked at Hookfang apologetically. _I didn't deal with it._

Snotlout exhaled and looked back down at his drawing. "Thanks, Hiccup. I just, need to figure some things out."

Snotlout looked up when he heard steps heading his way. "Wow. Something really must be wrong for you to thank me like that." Hiccup gently smiled down at Snotlout before sitting down beside him on his bed.

A shaky sigh escaped Snotlout's lips. "My dad would kill me."

Hiccup frowned. "What? Why?"

Snotlout looked down at the floor. "All my life he's been talking about carrying on the Jorgenson bloodline, having an heir. It was just, there was no question about it. Have a wife, have a family. Figures I'd mess that up as well. I mean, I disappointed him with everything else."

"You didn't disappoint him!" Hiccup burst out. Hookfang joined in, rumbling.

Snotlout shook his head, still looking at his boots. "It was just a given. Meet a nice girl, fall in love." He grimaced wryly. "Hey, I did half of that. That counts, huh?"

"Wait a minute." Hiccup blinked, looking hard at Snotlout. "Are you trying to tell me that you, uh, that you're in love with someone?"

"Yeah," Snotlout sighed in self-disgust. "Only it's not someone I could start a family with. And you know what's worse? I wouldn't care if I could spend the rest of my life with him. It's stupid, but he would make it okay." He looked away to avoid Hiccup's eyes, guessing they would hold disgust.

Hiccup's eyes widened in surprise at Snotlout's obvious confession. He looked down at what was in Snotlout's hands. "Is that... Fishlegs?" Hiccup asked. Surprised, he slowly raised his eyes from the drawing to look Snotlout in the face.

Snotlout rubbed his arms hoping it would calm him down, trying to distract himself. "It's actually Thor Bonecrusher. I drew it after Fishlegs broke out of the hypnosis. But now, when I look at it, all I see is Fishlegs," Snotlout replied hesitantly.

"You know," Hiccup started gently, capturing Snotlout's attention before continuing, "Thor is Fishlegs. It's just another part of him that's hidden deep down."

Snotlout whipped his head around to find a smiling Hiccup looking at him. His breath caught in his throat in surprise at Hiccup's kindness. "Just what I don't get is that you don't exactly act nice towards Fishlegs."

Snotlout placed his drawing beside him and massaged his fingers, squeezing and stretching them as he came up with his answer. "I don't know how I feel. But I actually can't help it, it just happens. I think... I think I'm trying to get Fishlegs' attention..."

Hiccup nodded in understanding and stood up. He paced a few steps, back and forth. "Have you actually thought that maybe it isn't Thor you're interested in, but Fishlegs?"

Snotlout averted his eyes. "I've considered it," he whispered.

"See!" Hiccup exclaimed excitedly. "You know deep down that you didn't actually fall in love with Thor Bonecrusher, you were amazed at what Fishlegs could become and fell in love with Fishlegs himself, not his alter-ego. You were impressed."

"B-but I never thought I could actually like Fishlegs. Oh Thor, I've screwed it all up!" Snotlout yelled out as he buried his face in his hands, speaking through his fingers. "I have been hanging around Fishlegs a lot lately, but I thought it was because I wanted to try and get Bonecusher back. I kept screwing it up though. I… I couldn't hide my feelings anymore, Hiccup. But I couldn't let him know. So I called him boring. How stupid can I possibly be? I can't open my mouth without insulting him, and I don't even want to!"  
Hiccup sighed. He stopped in front of Snotlout and flicked his forehead to get Snotlout to look up at him. "Yes, you made a few mistakes, but nothing an apology can't fix. Fishlegs is a very forgiving person. Just try to be a bit nicer to him," Hiccup suggested, hands on his hips.

Snotlout nodded. "You're right. Thanks Hiccup, I mean it." Snotlout smiled sincerely at Hiccup before walking towards his dragon. "Come on, Hookfang. Let's go." He and Hookfang flew off. Hiccup watched them go, smiling and standing a bit taller. Toothless butted him in the side and crooned approvingly.


	2. Chapter 2

**Moderately wise should each one be, but never over-wise;**

 **for a wise man's heart is seldom glad, if he is all-wise who owns it.**

...

The sound of Hookfang's wings flapping echoed through the wind which made Snotlout's ride a relaxing one. Till, of course, Ruffnut and Tuffnut's eccentric yells disrupted his stress-free flight and dragged him to the ground to approach the Loki-following Thorstan twins.

Hookfang landed gracefully on the ground. His wings folded to his body before he lowered his neck to allow Snotlout to easily unsaddle himself and stand on the ground. Snotlout released a belligerent breath as if talking to the twins was the worst thing in the world. It wasn't, but everyone did agree that they were a tiresome pair to deal with. Snotlout turned to face the two troublemakers' with impeccable speed and forced a haughty grin onto his face.

The twins attention was directed towards Snotlout when they heard his dragon land. "Wow, what happened to you?" Tuffnut snickered, elbowing his sister in the arm. Ruffnut chuckled, "Yeah, you look terrible, and that's coming from us." Snotlout's fake grin fell right off his face as a frown followed suit. He huffed and crossed his arms over his chest, turning away slightly. "Shut up! I'm just figuring some things out at the moment." Snotlout explained, looking towards the ground. He would never admit it, but at that point, he was embarrassed by what the twins would have been possibly thinking about him.

"Oh? What is this? Is Snotlout actually..." Tuffnut gasped playfully, he put up a fake look of surprise as he finished his sentence, "Thinking?" Ruffnut bursted out in laughter as she fell to floor and clenched her stomach to put on a show of how funny it was to them. Snotlout threw his arms to the side and turned to face them, letting his anger show through how rough his actions were. "Oh shut it would you? I didn't come here to be picked on by you two!" His eyebrows furrowed as he rested his hands on his hips. "I came here to ask you if you knew where Fishlegs is?" Snotlout asked, cutting right to the chase like he would've done at the start. "Oh? Fishlegs? What is this I smell?" Tuffnut joked, his hand placed on his cheek. "It's nothing! Just tell me where he is!" Snotlout yelled, completely sick of the twins shenanigans.

"Gah, fine. Party pooper. He's in the forest collecting wood for our big camp fire tonight." Ruffnut replied, a bored expression on her face as she leaned her elbow on her brother's shoulder. "Right. That's all I wanted. But before I go, how did you know I was putting up a hoax just before?" Snotlout asked as he climbed on top of Hookfang, looking at them once seated in his saddle as he waited for their reply.

Tuffnut snorted and answered, "We may be idiots, but we're not stupid." Ruffnut nodded her head in agreement, "Yeah, hehe. Wait..."

The black-haired Jorgenson viking shook his head at their stupidity and took off to search the forest from above. It had only taken him a few minutes to spot the Gronkle and her rider in the forest, blasting trees to collect wood. He directed Hookfang to land next to Meatlug which distracted her from blasting another tree down. Snotlout looked around and noticed the huge pile of wood sitting on a net.

"That is a lot of wood. How big is this fire going to be exactly?" Snotlout observed, surprising Fishlegs. The blonde turned around to face Snotlout, paper and pencil in hand. Fishlegs walked over to Meatlug and placed the paper and pencil in the bag attached to her saddle. "What do you want Snotlout?" Fishlegs asked as he slowly turned towards the other viking.

Snotlout sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck out of nerves. "I want... to apologise. I've said some things, done some stuff and I want to apologize for everything I've done to you."

"The things you said, they hurt me Snotlout." Fishlegs sighed. He jumped slightly when he felt Meatlug lean against him as an attempt for comfort. Snotlout stepped forward and put on a sincere face to show he was serious. "I realise that, and that's why I've come to say... Sorry."

Snotlout held out his hand in offer of a handshake. Meatlug growled at him after having put out his hand. "It's not just your words, Snotlout, it's your actions. You've made me confused." Fishlegs stated as sorrow filled his eyes. He bent down and tied up the net so it allowed Meatlug to carry the wood easily.

After realizing what Fishlegs was referencing, a red hue spread across Snotlout's face in embarrassment.

The blonde sat on top of his Gronkle and spoke to Snotlout, "Try your apology again later, when I've sorted things out." He then flew off without looking at Snotlout once.

The lone viking turned to his Monstrous Nightmare and patted his snout. He shook his head before climbing onto Hookfang's saddle. "I don't even know what to think." Snotlout let out a single chuckle, "That's probably why I don't think." Snotlout finished before flying off in search of Hiccup, hoping the Haddock would have a job he could do to prevent his mind from wandering to unwanted thoughts.

...

It became time for the big annual fire when the sun disappeared beyond the horizon. The twins, Snotlout, and Fishlegs were seated as Astrid and Hiccup placed wood in the ring of rocks. Hiccup signalled Toothless and a blast of fire escaped his mouth and lit the wood on fire.

The two sat down, Hiccup sitting next to Snotlout. "So," Hiccup started to catch Snotlout's attention, "How did the apology go?" Snotlout looked at Hiccup and appreciated the kind smile that was placed on the Chief-to-be's face. "Well I tried to apologize but-" Snotlout was interrupted by an abrupt shout from Fishlegs.

"Wait!" Fishlegs interjected as he stood up from the log he sat upon. "Hiccup, you told him to apologize?" Fishlegs asked with disbelief. "Uhh..." Hiccup didn't know how to answer as he awkwardly sat there. An angry breath was heard being exhaled from Fishlegs' mouth as he walked over to his dragon. "I knew I shouldn't of believed Snotlout would come to me and apologize on his own."

Snotlout snorted and retorted, "You didn't even accept my apology! In a time of confusion, Hiccup came offering advice and I took it. Become a man and accept what I'm giving you!"

"Or do we need to hypnotize you like last time and bring out a real man like Thor Bonecrusher!" Snotlout yelled standing out of his seat. The last thing he saw was the hurt frown on Fishlegs' face before the blonde got on Meatlug and flew off without a word. The whole group looked at Snotlout with glares as he calmed down and put on a scared face. "Oh no," Snotlout whispered before cradling his face with his hands out of fear.

"Snotlout. Fishlegs is nothing like Bonecrusher. And telling him to be something he's not? You're destroying him." Hiccup stated, the clank of metal signalling that he has stood up.

"This is not like you Snotlout. Control your outbursts, figure out what's wrong with you and go search for Fishlegs. It's not safe out there to be alone at night." Astrid instructed as she stepped forward, pointing in the direction Fishlegs flew.

He nodded his head, battling with himself in his mind as he sat on Hookfang and went in the same direction his fate had gone. His mind was filled with regret; he didn't process what he was doing and that prevented him from saving himself from the fear that filled him.


	3. Chapter 3

_**But of him yet further, whom thou little trustest, and thou suspectest his affection;**_

 _ **before him thou shouldst laugh, and contrary to thy thoughts speak:**_

 _ **requital should the gift resemble.**_

 _ **...**_

Quick, heavy breaths were heaved from Snotlout's mouth. He had fallen to the ground, shaking while he desperately tried to swallow air to satisfy his aching lungs and rocked back and forth to distract him from his shrinking heart.

...

It had taken Fishlegs a few hours to clear his head. The moon was at its highest peak when he returned from the forest. The remaining four Dragon Riders were still at the campfire, awaiting the two other vikings' return. Fishlegs stepped on dried up leaves and sticks which created a sound loud enough to capture Hiccup and Astrid's attention. Their heads snapped up hastily to look at Fishlegs and Meatlug, a relieved smile on both of their faces. Hiccup stood up and Astrid followed. But the relieved smile that adorned Hiccup's face faltered when he realized the black-haired viking wasn't among the two.

Fishlegs noticed the sudden change in Hiccup and questioned what was wrong, "Hiccup, what's the matter?" He stepped closer as Astrid stepped forward to stand beside Hiccup. "Snotlout... He isn't with you." Hiccup observed breathy as worry showed evidently on his features. But unlike Hiccup, Fishlegs' face showed confusion and looked towards Astrid in hope of an explanation. "Why would Snotlout be with me?" Fishlegs questioned, giving up on getting an explanation without having the need to ask. It was hard to tell but Fishlegs was sure that Hiccup's face went pale. "Oh no," Hiccup muttered as he began to shake. Astrid placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "What 'oh no'? Tell me!" The blonde, confused Dragon Rider demanded as he was in need of an answer; anxiety rising up from the pit of his stomach from not knowing.

"After you flew off, Snotlout went off to look for you." Hiccup finally granted Fishlegs his answer which the blonde never expected to hit him as hard as it did. Fishlegs' face mimicked that of Hiccup's as it drained of all its colour. "Alone? In the dark?!" He barked angrily, an unknown feeling admist his anxiety and the nausea it caused. Hiccup and Astrid looked at each other before the brunette questioned, "Yeah? Is the dark a problem?"

"Of course it is!" Fishlegs' retorted as he climbed onto Meatlug. "And why is that?!" Hiccup shouted, now asking the questions, as he ran over to Toothless so he could follow after Fishlegs. Hiccup was startled at how out-of-character Fishlegs was being. Once they were in the air, Hiccup and Toothless flew up beside Meatlug and Fishlegs. "Snotlout has a vehement fear of the dark and whatever lurks within it. It's so severe it mimics the affect of anxiety and sometimes triggers a panic attack."

Hiccup did not expect that to be the answer. Of all the explanations, that was the least expected. It all made sense now. Why he always protested against doing things, even though most of them didn't involve the dark. It was all just a misunderstanding when he thought it was just Snotlout being lazy or uncaring. One question wandered about his mind and he decided to ask Fishleg's. "How do you know this?" He asked softly as if a tone any harsher than that would break him.

A deep sigh was released from Fishlegs' mouth. He wanted to avoid this at all costs. It was a deal he made with Snotlout to not tell anyone what happened that night. But he supposed that this was an exception. Astrid was following behind them, obviously not wanting to be left behind with the twins so Fishlegs' decided that Astrid could keep a look out for Snotlout as he told Hiccup what happened that night.

"It happened a few years before dragons were accepted on Berk. The Chief was over the fued between the Ingerman's and the Jorgenson's. So he arranged a dragon hunt with the two families, hoping they would come to terms while they hunted. Unfortunately, Snotlout had strayed from the group. When we found him, he was hardly breathing. The fear caused his lungs to tighten and it made it difficult for air to fill his lungs. It was so bad he was hallucinating. My father helped him as he had experience dealing with attacks like Snotlout's. That was the night our families' feud ended, and I discovered Snotlout's secret." Fishlegs' finished, his eyes downcast.

Hiccup didn't know what to do; how to react or what to say. He honestly had no clue about the relationship the two families' had back then. He couldn't fathom it. At one point he considered the possibility that his mind had conjured up that answer himself and Fishlegs' said something completely different. But the look on the blonde's face said otherwise and proved he had heard correctly.

"W-wow," Hiccup started as he looked ahead, "I didn't realise you and Snotlout had such a history."The Haddock looked back towards the Ingerman to see him trying to hide his emotions that wanted to make themselves open clearly on his face.

"You care about him don't you? You're incredibly worried about him; more than usual." Hiccup pushed, guiding Toothless closer to Meatlug.

Fishlegs clicked his tongue and frowned, but even that didn't hide the panic in his features. He looked at Hiccup and stared into his eyes. "You haven't seen what this monster does to him. You haven't witnessed the pure desperation for closure in his eyes. It's a form of torture he can not escape. After seeing it, it will haunt you."

The intenseness in Fishlegs' eyes bored into Hiccup. A strange jolt of fear erupted through his nerves as he gaped at the new side of Fishlegs he's never seen. His lips parted in surprise. He was about to speak until a loud shout from behind caught both of the vikings' attention.

"Look! Fire!" she yelled. Fishlegs searched below and caught sight of the strange fire. He dove down and landed, with Astrid and Hiccup landing behind him.

He dismounted from Meatlug and walk towards the strange shape and opened his eyes wider in both realisation and panic. "It's Hookfang!" Fishlegs yelled behind him to tell the following two. "But Snotlout isn't here." He clarified, falling to his knees.

Hookfang cleared the flames protruding from his body and sat in front of Fishlegs, mirroring his feelings. It was a surprise to the three that Hookfang was actually worried sick about his obnoxious rider. Fishlegs' guessed he witnessed the horrible darkness that attacked Snotlout from within.

A darkness Fishlegs had become all too familiar with.

...

 **I'm sorry this is a little later than usual and not as long. I was pretty stuck at the end as I didn't know where to take it.**

 **But I do want to keep going on with the story so suggestions would be fantastic!**

 **Thanks for the review, favourites and follows!**


	4. Unleash The Hounds, Part 1

_**A miserable man,**_  
 _ **and ill-conditioned,**_  
 _ **sneers at every thing;**_  
 _ **one thing he knows not,**_  
 _ **which he ought to know,**_  
 _ **that he is not free from faults.**_

 _ **...**_

It was forlorn; the faces, the air. The atmosphere was anything but tender. It was a inconsolable sight. Neither of the two vikings in the distance even dared to conciliate with the blonde that sat in front of the lament Nightmare.

Hiccup heaved a shaky breath, afraid to even speak a word. But yet he gently whispered to himself, "I did this. This is my fault." It seemed the words didn't reach Fishlegs, luckily, but Astrid heard them clearly. She placed a comforting hand on Hiccup's shoulder as if he was the one that needed alleviation.

The rising of Fishlegs' body caught Hiccup's attention as it was the first sign of movement from him since he collapsed to his knees. "We've got to go. We've already wasted minutes mourning when he is still out there," Fishlegs voiced gravelly. He made his way to Meatlug and sat on her back. The other two followed suit and flew off in search of Snotlout; Hookfang flying beside Meatlug. The determination in the Monstrous Nightmare's eyes was confounding. Nobody believed Hookfang cared so much about his egoistic rider.

"You called this thing a beast," Hiccup started, almost afraid to speak. "What is this beast exactly?" Hiccup trailed behind Fishlegs, he knew to keep his distance and give the blonde some space.

"I can't," Fishleg's voiced cracked. He had finally lost control and his tears, along with his feelings, came spurting out. "To know what this thing can do, I just can't think about it. I just," Fishlegs heaved a shaky breath. He turned to look behind at the two worried Vikings.

"Nevermind. Let's speed this search up," said Fishlegs as he flew higher. He wiped away his tears, unaware that Astrid had flew up close beside him.  
"You care for him a lot, don't you?" She voiced softly. Fishlegs glanced to the side to analyse the sympathetic features of her face. He coughed, as if he was trying to hold down his true feelings.  
"We grew up together. Our families were close. Of course we weren't always friendly towards eachother but that fued subsided. Isn't it normal to worry about a childhood friend?"  
Astrid was suspicious. She raised an eyebrow but didn't attempt to push him further.

The atmosphere became tense. It was silent. The fierce beats of their dragons' wings was somewhat therapuatic with the horrid thoughts that flooded the three Dragon Rider's minds. It was when Hiccup's loud and scared voice cut through the tense bubble that surrounded them that changed the atmosphere entirely.

"Snotlout!"

The two blonde's turned around to see Hiccup and Toothless diving fast towards what caught their eye. They followed suit and what they saw shot Fishlegs straight through the heart.

Fishlegs jumped off Meatlug as they hit the ground and ran towards the quivering body. He fell to his knees and softly placed his hand on the trembling boy, only to retaliate. His body was cold to the touch. So pale that his veins were clearly visible. The only sign of colour was the cuts that wept over his limbs.

Fishlegs was devasted. Tears welled up in his eyes as they travelled to Snotlout's face. Most of it was covered with his knotty black hair, but the trail of many tears could still be shown, along with his purple and dry lips. His head rested on his left arm and Fishlegs caught sight of damage made to Snotlout's hand. Many teeth marks were evident on his hand, even some left traces of blood.

The blonde couldn't take much more of the poor sight and dragged Snotlout into his arms. He tried to cover as much bare skin as possible to warm up the freezing Jorgenson.

He felt something wet hit his legs softly. The shivering and sniffling of the boy in his arms gave the indication that it was tears that he felt. But then he no longer felt anything. He didn't feel the clenching of Snotlout's nails in his skin as the boy tried to relinquish his pain. He didn't feel the hands prying his arms from the grasp he held on Snoutlout. He didn't feel the weight removed from his lap as Hiccup carried Snotlout onto Toothless. His aching heart was all he could feel as his whole body trembled as if to mimic Snotlout's condition.

...

How Fishlegs got back to Dragon's Edge was a blur. The last thing he remebered was Snotlout being carried onto Toothless, and then he ended up in a small room, sitting on a stool beside a bed staring at Snotlout as his chest moved up and down, unsteadily.

Fishlegs felt his tears drip onto his arm as he slowly reached out to hold Snotlout's hand. It was cold. But yet he kept holding as he cried for his friend's eyes to open.

Friend.

Fishlegs doubted himself as he knew these feelings were abnormal towards a friend.

This was something more.

"Fishlegs," Astrid ran into the infirmary, red faced and panicked. "Dragon Hunters gave been sighted on the shore. We need to get our defenses," she explained, walking a few steps in.

Fishlegs looked at Snotlout and nodded. He stood up, but before he left he placed a kiss on the boy's head.

"I'll be back."


	5. Unleash The Hounds, Part 2

**All door-ways,**  
 **before going forward,**  
 **should be looked to;**  
 **for difficult it is to know where foes may sit within a dwelling.**

 **...**

His eyes opened at the sound of the soft words that were spoken into his ear. The breath softly hitting his skin sent shivers down his spine.

"I'll be back."

He hung onto those words as the person who saved him left the room with a promise. His heart yearned for his return, but also burned with the hate of being helpless in defending the place he called 'home'. He let his eyes drift closed once again as a small smile adorned his face. His heart fluttering at the thought that someone really did truly care for him.

...

Outside was chaos. They had never seen so many Dragon Hunter ships in one attack. And it seemed they struck early. The flames from the burning dome signaled their arrival at early dawn. Screams filled the air that held words of command. Astrid directed her fellow dragon riders to take their positions to defend. Her eyes were wide with fear and adrenaline but they held determination.

Astrid overlooked the attacking fleet from the cliff where she stood; Stormfly beside her. Her brows furrowed as she analyzed the countenance of the Dragon Hunters. They were oddly cheery and hardly tried to make any advances individually, they were all in groups.

They were up to something, and Astrid did not like it one bit.

"Stormfly, stay here. Fire when you please," Astrid instructed before she ran off. She needed to find Hiccup, or someone. No, she needed to group up. She could feel that something big was going down and this required all her friends to stand together and fight.

She grabbed the hollow yak horn that was attached her belt and blew on it. A deep howl echoed through the air to serve as a beacon to attract her team. Soon after they were all there, not including Snotlout which left a gap in their circle formation. With determination etched on her face she analyzed the faces of her friends and allies. She felt her heart pang at the sadness and emptiness she found in Fishlegs' countenance. She gave a soft smile in his direction, which he returned, before she went back to her previous seriousness.

"We need a change of strategy," Astrid started before looking at Hiccup who stood beside her. He nodded his head in confirmation. "I agree. Ryker is never this slow in attacking us straight on. There must be a reason why they are holding back." Tuffnut scoffed in the distance. "Maybe he just got a little excited and attacked before they were even ready. Hah, such a Ryker move," Tuffnut said proudly. His response was an elbow to the gut from his sister, who in fact was quite serious about the situation at hand.

"We don't need your input Tuffnut, we need to take action now and to do that we need a plan." Everyone's eyes were wide with astonishment, a scene that Ruffnut did not take a liking to. "Hey, I can be reasonable, at times," Ruffnut pouted and looked away.

"Anyway... I agree with Ruffnut, we need a plan. Any suggestions?" Astrid asked looking at her friends before her. The twins' face scrunched in concentration and Fishlegs's face downcast.

"I have one," a voice spoke beside Astrid. She looked at the Haddock beside her whose face was confident and held a smirk.

"Let's give them our dragons."

...

This was a bad idea. A terrible, very bad, idea. There was no way it was going to work. Fishlegs couldn't help but pace back and forth as he watched the ongoing scene in front of him. The plan had been put into action.

The atmosphere was tense, Hiccup looked rigid as he walked up to Ryker. It was a scary sight to behold. Fishlegs almost felt like falling to the ground and telling them all about what they plan to do. He wanted to give up, but he knew he couldn't, not for him, or his friends, and especially not for Snotlout. He had to remain strong. Push down the bubbling anxiety that rose to his throat. The wave of pressure that wanted to rain down from his eyes. He had to be better than his past self, he couldn't give in, not again.

Fishlegs looked up from where his eyes were gazing to see that Hiccup and Ryker were face to face, staring intensely as if the battle had already started in their eyes. After a solid minute of silence, a huff was released from Ryker's nose as a subtle smirk played onto his lips. "A proposition, you say? Why the sudden change in attitude? The Hiccup I know wouldn't give up so easily," Ryker taunted, questioning the tactics of the Dragon Riders' leader.

"We have come to terms that dragons are dangerous. Our childish eyes couldn't see through the danger and we befriended dragons, believing we could change the world. But we were wrong. We can't change the nature of indestructible beings and we have paid the price. Our friend was on the verge of near death because of one of our own dragons. I am afraid we have to give them up, and I am willing to give them to you under one condition," Hiccup bored his eyes into Ryker's. Ryker seemed wary but continued on anyway, "and what condition is that?"

Hiccup furrowed his brows and replied, "you leave Berk and Dragon's Edge alone. Do not harm any dragons, they might be savages but they do not deserve pain."

Ryker raised his right brow, skeptical of the deal that was being made. Fishlegs caught Ryker's eyes travel up and saw a smile make way on the dragon hunter's face. What was he up to?

Ryker looked back at Hiccup quickly. "As tempting as the offer sounds, I'm gonna have to pass," Ryker gave his answer and turned around, making his way back his ship. You could see the panic strike Hiccup's face as he stuttered for words, "What? Why? We are giving you our dragons, what more do you want?" Ryker turned his head to look at Hiccup again, "It's not that I don't believe you, it's just, ja, I don't believe you."*

Ryker and his men all boarded their ships. Something wasn't right. Why did they come then leave with nothing? Fishlegs couldn't shake the nauseating feeling in the pit of his stomach and the heavy thud of his heart. He looked over the faces of his friends, each filled with the disappointment of failure. He looked back at the retreating ships, a voice at the back of his head telling him that something was wrong. His heart felt empty. He felt as if something was missing, and he knew he only felt like this when he wasn't with Snotlout.

Snotlout.

It was like a bullet shot through Fishlegs' head as he remembered Snotlout was all alone, sick with no one to help him. Fishlegs started to run. He put two of his fingers in his mouth to call for Meatlug, which she came and Fishlegs jumped onto her back and flew quickly to the infirmary.

He threw himself off Meatlug as they arrived outside where Snotlout rested. He threw open the door to find the bed, in which his elska was resting, empty.* His heart shattered. he raced to the side of the bed and fell to his knees on top of the blanket that was meant to be on the bed. He cried into his arms, letting the ocean that was rising from before spill from his eyes. He gripped the sheet with a tight fist, soon realizing that that wasn't enough to relinquish his anger and punched the bed post instead. He lost Snotlout again. He was in danger again and Fishlegs couldn't help but feel it was his fault. Everything was always his fault. He had to save him and apologise for everything. But where was he? There was only one explanation for his disappearance. Ryker. Just the name made Fishlegs's blood boil. He was going to get to Ryker, and he was going to have hell to pay.

...

Cold and wet. A feeling he had become used to. But instead, the waves of bitter fear and loneliness that crashed against his heart had become the pool that he was thrown into. He didn't know where he was. It was dark. He felt scratches against his face and the air he breathed was stuffy. His head was swallowed in the closed space of a hessian bag.

He was taken.

He felt his heart thud against the surface of his chest as if it was trying to escape the shackles of his body. He gradually moved his tied hands towards his neck and felt himself getting colder by every second. He was letting go. He no longer tried to help himself. He felt his neck. Bruised. He couldn't help but think he deserved this.

The past few days were hell, he knew, and he knew that though it felt like it couldn't get much worse, it would. He tried to tell himself that it wasn't his fault, he did nothing wrong, but like always his mind batted against him.

He tucked his legs into his stomach as he felt the thorns of his mind stab and wrap around his body, pulling tighter as he no longer felt free. He only felt pain.

A loud interference echoed through the dark space and carried through the water. Snotlout laid still. His blindness made his heart beat quicken with the unknown. A gruff grunt was released into the air by the intruder as he walked closely towards the still boy.

Rough hands enveloped tightly around Snotlout's wrists. Carelessness in the attitude of the man as he hauled the limp boy off the ground and hurled him over his shoulder. Snotlout no longer cared and didn't even attempt to fight as he laid restless over the stranger's shoulder. He had given up because he knew there was no use in trying.

He had reached light as the space inside the bag became brighter. He was outside in the dry atmosphere. He heard chatter of men and a demanding voice. He couldn't make out the words as his ears became numb.

He was thrown to the ground, his skin kissing wood. He squirmed on impact and coughed as air travelled up his chest. His head danced with pulses from when he hit the ground. Hands grabbed him in multiple places and forced him to his knees. They ripped the bag from his head. The sun. It burned. His eyes closed from impact of the sun's rays. The fresh, salty air filled his lungs. It was refreshing, to say the least.

Snotlout tried to make out the surroundings of the unfamiliar place. His eyes squinted as he saw blue all around him. A face came into sight. It was blurry, but when his eyes settled he could see it was Ryker. He realised. The water, the sky, the voices of men around him; he was on one of the dragon hunters' ships.

Snotlout glared and brought forth all of his energy that he could muster. "What do you want?" He spat. He wouldn't give himself up to Ryker. His blood boiled as he saw the disgusting frown on the man's face slither up into a smirk. He replied in a mocking tone, "bait."

Snotlout heard voices from a distance. One voice he recognised as soon as the lovely sound flew through his ears. His body was hit with the sensation of hope and happiness. The one person he would try for had come to save him. The answer Ryker had given him slipped through his mind as he didn't realise that this was exactly what Ryker wanted.

When the dragon riders landed on the floating vessel, Snotlout wanted nothing more than to run into the arms of Fishlegs. But before he could make his way over to his friends, Ryker grabbed Snotlout's wrists and pulled him to his feet, pulling the boy's arms behind his back, stretching the shoulders so it would hurt. Ryker's laugh resonated through Snotlout's ear as he began taunting the riders, "poor little boy, left all on his lonesome, sick, scared, and completely defenseless. Oh, what an advantage for me though. Your little stratagem would never have fooled me. You give up your dragons? What do you take me for? No one would have ever fallen for your feeble plan."

"What do you plan to do?" Hiccup questioned. He looked hurt, but he remained stoic as he stepped forward. Snotlout stared intently at Hiccup, analyzing him. His eyes drifted over the rest of the group to realize a dragon and a pair of riders were missing. His eyes widened as he looked back at Hiccup who nodded the slightest bit to confirm Snotlout's thoughts.

"A trade. Your Night Fury for your friend." Ryker smirked, as if it was check-mate. Playing his pieces perfectly, the Pawns at front and his team in position. But with his guards so far forward, he missed the Bishop that slipped through his fingertips and reached him, the King. Ryker heard the screams of his crewmen and saw the green haze that enveloped the sky. A spark, and the sky was enveloped in flames. How did he not perceive the absence of the zippleback and nightmare? Ryker scowled at the outcome. The game was played so perfectly, but for it to end with a loss shook Ryker's core.

His ships went down. The twins and Hookfang landed behind the group of smiling friends, proud of their victory. "How about a different deal instead, hm? Give us Snotlout and we'll let you go unharmed. Sound good?" Hiccup smirked, crossing his arms in front of his chest, friends behind him smiling just as brightly. A strong beat pounded against Snotlout's chest. Happiness broke out in a smile on his scratched face. He looked at Fishlegs, eyes filled with adoration as Fishlegs gave him a small but sweet, caring smile.

A rumble passed through Ryker's chest and throat, expressing his irritation with a growl. With distaste he left go of Snotlout's wrists with a push. Snotlout closed his eyes with anticipation of meeting the surface he had become all too familiar with. There was no hard surface, no fall, no pain, only soft and warm arms that caught his falling body and held him up by his back. The thudding in Snotlout's chest became stronger and quicker. A red hue spread across his face lightly as he looked up into the eyes of Fishlegs. He smiled, "nice catch, Fish Face."

Normally, Fishlegs would've dropped Snotlout on the ground and walked away, but instead he smiled like the dork he was and pulled the egoistic but sensitive boy into his chest, giving him warmth. Snotlout didn't move. His breath caught in his throat and his body became stiff. His mind was blank, no thoughts, no anything came through his mind. Instead his body moved on his own. His arms reached around the blonde's neck, holding him like he was his lifeline. Snotlout felt soft drops on his shoulder, dripping down his arm. He pulled away slightly, afraid to let go but curious to see the face of the pale blonde. He was saddened to see tears falling perpetually down his beautiful face.

"I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you. I promised I would never let that happen again and look at what I did, I caused it. And look at you, you're bruised, wounded, and cold to the touch." Snotlout hushed the blabbering boy with a soft hum. He smiled softly and placed his hand on Fishlegs' cheek, wiping away the tears with his thumb. "You're here now, that's all that matters. And your presence is making me warm," Snotlout looked at Fishlegs and saw his life. He realised that it was, and has always been, Fishlegs. It was never Thor Bonecrusher, seeing Fishlegs now made him realise that he was better, and still deep down had the strength and braveness of Bonecrusher.

Snotlout placed the hand he used to wipe away the tears on Fishlegs' shoulder. A devious smile broke onto Snotlout's face and poured fear into Fishlegs' soul. "Though, there is still one place that isn't warm," Snotlout hinted as he gazed at Fishleg's lips slightly before looking up into the shocked, red boy's face. It wasn't a moment later when the warm pair of lips met the cold and sent shivers down their spines. Snotlout grew warm and no longer felt pain or sadness, only love. Fishlegs wrapped his arms around Snotlout's torso, stroking his arms with the most delicate touch as he traced the wounds of the nightmare the Jorgenson went through. The warm and the cold combined, sending their hearts into a frenzy as they connected with an intimate kiss. They moved apart, the sound of Ryker gagging ending the special moment.

"Get off my boat would you?" Ryker barked before walking away from the group. The two looked at each other again, their eyes as well as their souls connecting before the group mounted their dragons. They flew off, and headed towards Dragon's Edge. Fishlegs flew beside Snotlout, nervous to ask what was on his mind, "so this is a thing that we will be doing, right? Like relationship stuff?" Snotlout turned his head to gaze at the apprehensive viking next to him. "Of course, you dork," Snotlout smiled softly and Fishlegs returned it.

Snotlout couldn't explain the sensation he felt spread through his body. It made him feel like he was floating on air, well technically he was, but figuratively as well. He felt warm, and like nothing was ever going to cool him down. He would forget the past few days, he would fight the monsters that haunt him. He knew he could do it because he had the most important person in the world stand by him, and fight with him against anything and everything.

He had Fishlegs, and he would never let him go.

...

 ***ja = yes**

 ***elska = love**

 **Word count: 3030**

 **Edited:**

 **Okay wow this is the longest chapter I have ever written. And I am sad to say that I do not like this chapter very much. It seems a bit rusheddd. Ehhh. So sorry about that.**

 **I am sad to say that this is the last chapter. I know you will most likely be upset or angry but I didn't plan for this to be a long story. I had only thought this far through with plot.**

 **I'm sorry guys, you have been the best and I would never have gotten this far without you. You guys have been too kind and I love hearing your comments and replying to them, it's the best feeling in the world.**

 **Thank you all, this is goodbye (Or not, I would love to hear suggestions, or if you want to talk I would love to chat!)**

 **I love you guys.**


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